He glanced at Dad and Jack to see if they, too, had discovered it. Jack’s head was nodding and he appeared to be asleep. Dad was leaning forward with an intent gaze, brushing the back of his hand across his eyes as though he, too, could hardly believe that what he saw was true.
Kiwi saw him throw a quick glance across at Jack’s charts, study them for a moment, and then look quickly ahead again. The apparition was still there. The Skipper studied it for some minutes. It seemed miles and miles away, but was getting plainer.
Kiwi thought he could see darker masses slightly to the left.
Dad was still straining forward, and without moving his eyes from the horizon nudged Jack. Jack came to with a start, noticed the Skipper’s tense attitude, and peered ahead through that peculiar light. Slowly he, too, discovered those strange shapes. He consulted his map, then the compass and drift-indicator. Puzzled, he turned to the Skipper. Plainly here was something that neither could understand. At last Jack was able to say:
“Can it be a mirage?”
Without moving his eyes from it, the Skipper replied:
“It’s possible. Early one morning over St. Omer in France, I saw something like it for a few seconds. But this has been in sight now for some time.”
With each passing second the apparition was becoming a little more distinct.
Kiwi leaned forward, and asked:
“What is that, Dad? Have we reached land?”